Cheap and cheerful meals - help me reduce my food bills!

[OrangeSwoosh]

I've just returned to work after maternity leave. Childcare fees are taking up 2/3 of my now part time income. We can manage, but we need to cut back. I've budgeted £150 a month for DH, DS (9 months) and I.

We're predominantly vegetarian (DH will eat fish) but DS isn't. I get his meat from the local farm shop which, whilst more expensive, goes a long way (for example a pack of 2 large chicken breasts will easily do 16-20 meals for him).

Otherwise we mainly shop in Lidl, with a trip to Tesco or Sainsbury's or similar to get the bits we can't get in Lidl.

I'm happy to batch cook.

We used to eat a lot of Quorn and similar products although eat less now as they're very expensive now, and DS has an egg allergy. Now trying to lean more towards bean, pulse and legume based meals both to reduce cost and also so DS can eat what we do as well.

So, inspire me! Family meals, stuff for the freezer, lunches (DS takes a lunchbox to nursery), snacks for someone with 8 teeth, ideas to reduce costs... anything!

Omlette

Bootstrap Jacks Bean Chilli
Bootstrap Jacks salmon paste pasta

For snacks, you can bulk make pinwheels (roll of puff pastry, coat with tomato purée, some cheese and then some ham or chicken or whatever you have left over in terms of veg, roll up lengthways and cut it into wheels, bake) or savoury muffins (rainbow muffins with red, green and yellow peppers are a favourite here) and freeze. I do this for my DD's lunches. She only 7mo with two teeth and can manage them fine! Super cheap to make.

Omlette
OP said her DS has an egg allergy...

Join the Facebook groups Cooking on a Budget and Feed Your Family on a Budget if you're on Facebook, loads of great ideas on those groups

Should have added that the Jus Rol pastry is egg-free, not sure about other brands.

For snacks, you can bulk make pinwheels

DS loves them and regularly has them in his lunchbox instead of a sandwich :) Probably need to come up with some new filling ideas though

Vegetable & lentil stew with dumplings
Jacket potatoes with beans & cheese
Cheese & potato pie
Cottage pie (made with lentils)
Vegetable curry with rice
Pasta with soft cheese, peas & sweetcorn

Mushroom chilli

I made this Moroccan jack fruit curry it was absolutely delicious.
holycowvegan.net/vegan-jackfruit-lamb-tagine/

Your pinwheels are much neater than mine!

Some great ideas, going to do some googling and start getting some recipes down on paper, thank you.

Any suggestions as to what I can do with pork steak and turkey breast for DS that can be batch cooked and frozen? Have some in the freezer but lacking inspiration. He already has turkey casserole and a pork, apple and bean concoction in the freezer

@Celebelly my greatest ever culinary creation was when I made a huge one for DH and I and didn't cut it up at all. Glorious it was!

Mince it for bolognaise or make burgers?

There’s some great recipes in the Ella’s kitchen cookbook (red one). You might be able to pick up a second hand one but some recipes can be found online.

The four bean feast is a favourite, it’s vegetarian but I’ve done it with mince beef and less beans and turned out great. It freezes really well and it can be used over jacket potatoes or mash as a lunch the next day. I found the recipe online here www.stylenest.co.uk/food/recipes/family-friendly-recipes/four-bean-feast/

Vegetable muffins are great to cook in batches and freeze for lunches.
Eggs are perfect at DS age, omelette, scrambled egg, boiled egg are firm favourites.
Dairylea triangles are fab, lots of calcium and can be used as a sandwich filler with veg or with grapes and breadsticks for snacks.

I started going to the reduced veg section and buying lots of the expensive veg like butternut squash, chopping it all and freezing so I can add it to recipes when needed. Saved me quite a bit.

I also bought frozen pollock fillets from Tesco (something Bay I think they’re called). They’re the only ones they had without added salt. Then I go though the pack and cut the frozen fillets into baby sized portions so I can just cook what he needs. You just need a large sharp knife and some patience!

When DS was 9 months his dinners/lunches were mainly cous cous/pasta/rice with a veg and a bit of protein. As he was able to eat more foods I just started giving him parts of what we were having. He’s now one and has exactly the same as us most days. I think the 7-10 month period was the hardest effort and cost wise. They’re not able to eat the same as you all the time so you’re cooking 2 lunches and 2 dinners. It gets exhausting and expensive.

This baby led weaning site is great for recipes. The breakfast snowballs are a hit.
As for pork maybe this www.babyledweaningideas.com/2016/11/30/sticky-pork-cous-cous/

As for turkey mince, I make these lettuce wraps for us all but I serve up baby’s before adding all of the sauces so he’s not getting the high salt content. www.slenderkitchen.com/recipe/chicken-lettuce-wraps?utm_medium=pinterest&utm_campaign=sk-social-share&utm_source=sk-share

When DS was 9 months his dinners/lunches were mainly cous cous/pasta/rice with a veg and a bit of protein. As he was able to eat more foods I just started giving him parts of what we were having. He’s now one and has exactly the same as us most days. I think the 7-10 month period was the hardest effort and cost wise. They’re not able to eat the same as you all the time so you’re cooking 2 lunches and 2 dinners. It gets exhausting and expensive

I've not found it so bad to be honest. He mainly eats what we eat (or we eat what he eats?!) but I'll just cook up a meat version for him where appropriate then portion and freeze which makes it even less hassle. If we have Quorn Bolognese for example, he'll have a beef version with smaller pasta and some of our pasta to self feed. I'd say he eats exactly what we eat 5-6 days a week and then he has a meat version the other 1-2 days. He eats everything which helps! I also make little portions of soup which he either takes to nursery to have with some bread or crackers for his afternoon tea or they'll be given alongside a sandwich and fruit lunch.

Ooh following. We cant do hot food for kids lunches so it feels a constant food marathon here.

I'm trying to eat healthier too and worry you can have 2/3 healthy/quick/cheapm

@Celebelly do you have a tried and tested recipe for the muffins?

I do but the batter I make contains egg, so probably not that much use for that specific recipe. I know you can make egg-free batter, though, or use egg replacer in a standard recipe though.

I use this as a base:

www.amummytoo.co.uk/red-pepper-and-cheese-savoury-muffins-perfect-packed-lunch-treat/

But add in different coloured peppers to make them look funkier and don't use nuts as pine nuts give me the heebie jeebies.

Thanks, I'll try and swap the egg with avocado or something